Closing the Doors
by Ickle Leo
Summary: Annabeth closed the Doors of Death, but when she showed up, she showed up alone. Percy never came out. What happened? Only one demigod knows.


'I don't understand! Why would she close both of them inside?" Piper wondered to everybody who listened to her repeat this over and over again. Everybody was wondering this, but I guess that listening to her display her befuddlement was enough for everybody.

Earlier that day, Annabeth had showed up at the other side of the Doors of Death. Alone. She gave a weak smile, and closed the Doors from the inside, while the outside was closed quickly by us. And then we had sailed away, promising ourselves that we would search for her as soon as we won the war. And Percy. The fact that he was gone worried us all.

I could easily say that all the uses of 'us' and 'we' after we closed the Doors were out there because I didn't want to tell them the truth. Because the truth was… Percy had died. And after she closed the Doors, Annabeth had committed suicide. I knew for a fact that they were in Elysium.

I had my reasons for not telling them, though. It wouldn't give them a reason to fight to win the war. If they thought that we still needed to rescue people after saving the world, they would be more determined. If they knew that Percy and Annabeth were dead… Let's just say our hearts wouldn't be on defeating Gaea.

After I had fallen asleep, I got a dream message from Percy.

"Hey, little cuz.'

"Hi Percy."

"What's new in the Land of the Living, Nico? Have you told them about me and Annabeth?" a far-off voice yelled 'Annabeth and _I_, Percy!' He sighed. "_Fine._ Have you told them about _Annabeth and I?_"

"Not yet. It will decrease morale. By the way, how did you two die?"

"Well… I was protecting Annabeth like my fatally loyal self from the Minotaur, and he got me right before we got to The Doors. My last wish was for Annabeth to get herself out of that hole, but she didn't listen. She stabbed herself in the stomach. Apparently we were good people, and we got ourselves into Elysium. We found, Silena, Beckendorf, and Zoë."

"Really?"

"Yup. Anyway, we're going to wait for everyone else to get into Elysium, so we can be reborn together!"

"Don't wait for us. Go ahead, be reborn!"

"You sure?" the far-off voice that I was now pretty sure was Annabeth yelled '_Are_ you sure, Percy!' and he sighed again. "_FINE. Are_ you sure?"

"Mm-hm."

"Nico, you're going to tell them eventually. Tell you what. We'll get reborn, but only after you tell them what happened. Agreed?"

"Agreed." I woke up; ready to face whatever the world had to throw at me. Literally.

I got dreams like that every night. It was much better than the nightmares that had been before that. Then the war took place. After we had won (no thanks to Coach Hedge's battle cry, "DIE DIRT FACE, DIE!"), I told them the story that Percy told me. "Guys, there's something I need to tell you…"

"What's up?" Leo said casually.

"We don't need to look for Percy and Annabeth." Silence. It was like I had told them that their pet had died or something.

"Nico… What do you mean?" Hazel asked. I'm pretty sure she knew part of the answer. I twisted my skull ring, the way I always do when I'm nervous.

"Well, they were really close to the Doors. And then the Minotaur showed up. Percy tried to protect Annabeth, and the Minotaur… killed him. But then he left Annabeth alone, probably knowing what she was going to do."

"You mean he knew she was going to close The Doors, right?" Frank said hopefully. I shook my head.

"She closed the Doors, and then she stabbed herself in the stomach. Guys, they got into Elysium. I've been getting dreams from Percy every night. They found some old friends. And he also told me that once I told you guys…"

"They were going to be reborn?" Jason guessed.

"Mm-hm. I'm sorry I've been keeping this from you guys. We're going to burn their shrouds once we get back to camp." And then we had a moment of silence for two of the most powerful demigods I had ever known.

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**Author's Note!**

** All rights of the Percy Jackson and the Olympians series and the Heroes of Olympus series belong to Rick Riordan. As much as I wish I had the rights, I don't. **

** So, what did you think? Good? Bad? Okay? I want to see what other people think of my writing! Please Review!**


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